Pirate Princess (10 page)

“Mmhm,” he said.

“Well we are going to have to teach you to dance before your big day,” Esmeralda said.

“I don’t want dance lessons,” I groaned.

“It’s fun,” she said, “You’ll see.”

“Besides you’re supposed to let the man lead,” Jared said.

“If he is able to,” Esmeralda amended.

“If he can’t lead you in a dance than he isn’t ready to lead you in battle or to be by your side,” he said matter-of-factly.

“You act like it’s so easy,” I murmured.

Faxon took my hand and spun me in a circle. “It’s not that hard. Think of it like a fight sequence.” He took my other hand and put it on his shoulder and then put his hand on my hip. “Just follow my lead.”

He moved left and I tried to stay with him, but then when he turned I stepped on his foot. “Sorry,” I murmured, my cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“It’s alright. Everyone gets their toes stepped on the first few times,” he reassured me.

“It might help if we had music,” Jared explained.

“Where are we going to find mu…” I started, but then Jared began singing. He grabbed Esmeralda and they danced while he sang. I watched the way they moved together and concentrated on their feet and the patterns they were making.

“Ready to try again?” Faxon asked.

I nodded my head and followed Faxon’s lead. Jared was right, with the music it was easier to tell when to step and turn. We danced around Esmeralda and Jared and then Jared and Faxon spun Esmeralda and I, let our hands go, and traded partners. Jared took my hand and danced with me while he sang. Before I knew it a smile lit up my face as my uncle sang and danced with me. They did the move again and then Griffin was dancing with me. A few more times and then I ended the dance back with Faxon. He bowed to me and I saw Esmeralda curtsying to Jared as he bowed to her so I curtsied as well.

“So?” she asked me, her face glowed with happiness.

“That was fun,” I admitted grudgingly.

“See!” she said happily.

“Do you always trade partners like that?” I asked.

“Yes, that way you can dance with multiple men so one isn’t monopolizing your time,” she explained.

“And so guys can dance with multiple girls, even the ones who don’t really want to dance with them,” Faxon said.

“As if you ever had problems getting girls to dance with you,” Esmeralda said.

Faxon frowned. “Actually, after the Battle of Trilak I did.”

“Why?” I asked.

“They were scared of him,” Jared said, “Just like most of them were scared of me.”

“Who was scared of you?” Esmeralda asked with her hands on her hips, “You had girls lined up to dance with you.”

“They danced with me, but I could tell they were nervous and afraid,” he said.

“That’s because they’re daisies,” she said seriously.

“Daisies?” I asked, confused.

“Delicate, soft hearted, frightened fillies,” she said in disgust.

“You know, normal women,” Griffin said with a smirk.

“Are you calling me abnormal?” she asked him.

“No, my Queen. You’re perfectly normal,” he teased.

“You’re better than normal,” Jared said sweetly to her.

“Darn straight I am.” I laughed and she pointed at me. “You’re just like me so don’t giggle.”

My mouth dropped open, but it was fake since I knew she was right. “I’m not like you. I’m a daisy.” I barely said it with a straight face.

All three men laughed.

“Sweet Tilia, you weren’t a daisy when you came to us at ten years old. You proved that when you heard about Jared’s fighting ability and the first thing you did was ask, ‘can I watch you fight’,” Faxon said.

“So just because I like fighting I’m not a daisy?” I asked.

“No, because you
love
fighting and men who send most cowering with a look don’t even faze you with that look. Instead you give them a look right back, hands on your hips, and challenge them to contests,” he said.

“So, daisies are boring?” I asked.

“Yes!” Esmeralda said exuberantly.

“But most men like daisies?” I asked despite knowing it was truth already by the way the trainees treated me.

“Yes,” Faxon said, “But I’m sure your generation has a few who aren’t afraid of a girl who is special like you.”

Esmeralda put her arm around my shoulders and said, “It also means you will only end up with the best.”

“I think you just got lucky,” I mumbled.

“I think there’s hope,” she started.

“I already told you about the trainees. They’re all daisy lovers.”

“She’s right,” Griffin said, “The trainees we have right now feel too threatened by her. They’re too soft and it’s going to take a lot to get them ready for battle.”

“Well, maybe you just aren’t meant for a trainee,” she said, “I’m sure there are some who are more hardened after passing the Journeyman or Warrior stages.”

“She is not dating someone old,” Jared said.

“I didn’t suggest that,” Esmeralda said, “calm down.”

The idea of boys courting me was terrifying and exciting at the same time. I really wanted this topic to change. “I’m hungry,” I interrupted.

“Yes, I do believe it’s time for dinner,” Jared agreed.

“I’ll show you to your room and then show you the dining hall,” Faxon offered.

I followed him and asked, “Can a queen rule without a king?”

He glanced at me and smirked. “She can, but that hasn’t happened in two centuries. And she only ruled alone because her husband died early and she refused to remarry.”

“I just don’t know how I’ll be able to find anyone I can stand,” I admitted.

He stopped me with a hand on my shoulder and met my eyes. “You don’t need to worry about that yet, Tilia. This is just an introduction into the world of suitors. You aren’t expected to find the one you’re going to stay with forever. You can have your ball and decide that you don’t wish to engage with any of them and that’s perfectly fine. You don’t need to feel obligated or rushed in any way.”

“Okay,” I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable receiving this advice from him. What was this mysterious man truly like? What had his life been like?

He pushed open a door and said, “This is your room.”

I walked in, put my bag on the bed and asked, “Can I have a moment?”

He shut the door and stood outside of my room. I opened my bag, took out my mask, and searched the room for a good place to hide it. I finally found a spot in the closet, hiding it under some other items. I walked out and he asked, “Why are you so protective of that bag?”

“I’m allowed to have private possessions,” I said.

“I’m just curious,” he explained.

“All mages are curious.”

“Tilia.”

“I can’t tell you,” I said, “I can’t tell anyone. It’s a secret and I want it to stay a secret. I’m not hurting myself or anyone else and it won’t cause me problems. It’s just something I own that I don’t want anyone to break or ruin.” Or see.

“Alright,” he said, “But if it’s magical and you misuse it…”

“It’s not magical,” I assured him, “I’m not that stupid.”

“I didn’t say you were,” he said with a smirk.

“Are there plans?” I asked him.

“You mean for tonight?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“I wanted to do something,” I said vaguely.

“I think you say and do mysterious things just to make me and Griffin curious,” he said with an exasperated sigh.

I smiled. “No, I just like having my secrets.”

He stopped me with a hand on my arm and asked, “Tilia, did you know that pirate that came to the castle?”

He was long gone by now so I answered truthfully. “Yes, he was one of Captain Rocco’s crew.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” he asked in surprise.

“Because Griffin would have detained him, interrogated him, and possibly tortured him to find out information about the King of Pirates. I didn’t want that to happen to him because of me,” I told him honestly.

“Well, I can’t refute that,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “But you shouldn’t hide things from us.”

“I wasn’t in danger. I didn’t put the kingdom in danger. And it may have saved that man’s life. I don’t see how it was the wrong thing to do.”

“I didn’t say it was wrong. I just wish you would trust me more,” he said. He pushed open the door and walked in before I could answer him. Not that I had an answer for him.

Esmeralda seemed to sense the shift in attitude, but didn’t ask me anything, just arched an eyebrow at me. I sat down and took a long drink of water from the cup on the table. I was beyond irritated now and turned to Griffin, “Are you going to keep making guards stalk me or do I get to walk around this town freely?”

His eyebrows furrowed and he stared at me in silence for a long moment, everyone quiet around us. “Until you start telling us the truth about yourself, I will keep guards stalking you.”

“I am telling you the truth,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Tilia,” Jared said softly, “We know you don’t want to tell us everything, but we all know you’re withholding information from us. Otherwise, we would have known about your involvement in a pirate festival before.”

“I don’t know every event you’ve ever gone to and I’m not accusing you of withholding information,” I said angrily. My muscles were tight and I didn’t think they would relax anytime soon. How dare they accuse me of lying to them!

“I think everyone needs to take a breath,” Esmeralda said.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” I whispered. I stood up and went back to my room.

“Tilia!” she called after me.

“I’m not hungry!” I called back, fists clenched, “I’ll get something later and Griffin’s stalkers can tell you about it tomorrow.” I slammed the door closed behind me and went up to my room.

Chapter Four

The next morning after breakfast had passed and I was still in my room, someone knocked on my door. I ignored them as I sat at my window and looked out towards the ocean. They knocked again and I ignored them again. Then my door blew up into little flecks of ash and Faxon walked in.

“What if I was naked?” I asked him angrily.

He stopped midstep and looked at me in shock. “Then I would have turned around and waited for you to get dressed.”

“I didn’t answer because I didn’t want you to come in,” I told him.

“I figured that out,” he said, “Which is why I got rid of the door that you locked to keep us out.”

I turned around and looked out the window again.

“Tilia,” he said softly, “You need to eat.”

I ignored him as I watched a seagull flying outside.

“Why are you so upset?” he asked.

I couldn’t tell him. That was why I was so upset. I wanted to be honest with them, but I couldn’t.

“Will you at least come down and have breakfast with me?” he asked.

I was hungry and I wasn’t really mad at him. “Why now?” I asked him. “Why are you talking to me so much now?”

He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and looked at the floor. “The less you know about me, the safer you are. I have learned many things that others would find valuable. If one of my enemies from another kingdom found out that I was tutoring you or that I was so heavily involved in your upbringing, they would try to take you to get the information from you or force me to give them the information in exchange for your life.”

“They could do that now,” I whispered nervously.

“Yes, but now you’re essentially grown and you can defend yourself. Plus, I’ve been much less active in causing problems and I hope my enemies will take that as a sign to leave me alone.”

“Someone could take it as an opportunity to attack. They could think your defenses are down,” I said despite not wanting to have him stop talking to me. The more I talked with him, the more I grew to care about him.

“My magic and Esmeralda’s is unrivaled. If they came here they would only meet their demise.” His skin began glowing as he said, “And if anyone touched a hair on your head in an attempt to get to me they would regret it
very
much.”

He was terrifying when mad. I had never seen him mad before and just this discussion was enough to cause a reaction in him that made me want to run screaming for Esmeralda to protect me.

“Thank you for tutoring me,” I whispered.

He stopped glowing and smiled happily. “It’s my pleasure. I forgot how much fun it is to have an apprentice.”

I stood up and walked out of my room. “Can you make a new door?” I asked over my shoulder.

“I’ll have someone replace it,” he promised.

I continued on the way to the dining hall, refusing to look at him. When I entered the dining hall I wasn’t shocked to find everyone else there. I walked in, sat in my chair, and started eating without speaking to any of them.

“How did you get her out?” Jared asked Faxon.

“He blew up my door,” I informed them indignantly.

“You did what!” Esmeralda yelled. “Faxon I swear on the Holy Mother of All that I will put you in the dungeon…”

“It was a controlled blast,” he said, “It blew up in place and she was across the room.”

“You didn’t know that,” I snapped, “I could have been holding onto the doorknob.”

“She has a point,” Jared said.

“Why am I the bad guy all of a sudden?” he asked angrily. “I got her out and I didn’t injure her.”

“Next time find another way,” Esmeralda said.

I finished my food and walked out of the room. None of them called me back so I went to my room, packed a bag, and went to get Duke. I had just stepped into the stable when Griffin stepped into my path. “Tilia.”

“I’m leaving so you better let your guard know to follow me,” I said bitterly.

“Tilia, every royal has guards. Even Esmeralda had guards follow her around,” he explained.

I didn’t respond, just grabbed my bridle and put it on Duke.

“Are you going to at least tell me where you’re going?” he asked.

“I’m going to find a pirate captain so I can join his crew,” I lied.

“That’s not funny.”

I climbed up on the fence and then hopped up onto Duke’s back. I acted as if Griffin wasn’t there and trotted through town, up towards the hill, down through the side streets and then to the docks. I tied Duke to a post and walked the rest of the way to my destination.